Arizona is set to receive more than $13 million in a multistate settlement related to the opioid epidemic.
Attorneys general from around the country, including Arizona, reached a $573 million settlement with McKinsey and Company, a press release Thursday morning stated.
McKinsey is one of the world’s largest consulting firms, the press release says, and was investigated for its role in working for opioid companies, and promoting and profiting off opioids.
Among the concerns, McKinsey is said to have “advised Purdue (Pharma) on how to maximize profits from its opioid products, including targeting high-volume opioid prescribers, using specific messaging to get physicians to prescribe more OxyContin to more patients, and circumventing pharmacy restrictions to deliver high-dose prescriptions.”
Arizona Attorney general Mark Brnovich’s office says the settlement for our state, $13,350,614.04, is pending court approval.
“This is just another step in the journey of holding companies accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic,” said Brnovich in the press release. “Even though no amount of money can bring back the lives lost, I hope our settlement provides funding for programs to help those battling opioid addiction. We will continue to hold individuals and corporations responsible for putting profits over the health of Arizonans.”
While this is the first multistate opioid settlement leading to a substantial payout to states impacted by the epidemic, the settlement does end with a financial impact for McKinsey.
The AG’s office says the firm was also called to:
- Put internal documents detailing work with Purdue Pharma and other opioid companies for public disclosure online
- Adopt a strict document retention plan
- Continue investigating allegations that its partners tried to destroy documents related to investigations
- Implement a strict ethics code agreed to yearly
- Stop advising companies on potentially dangerous Schedule II and III narcotics
Click here to read the full press release.
